Germany’s political map fractured further on Sunday as voters in two eastern states delivered results that will reverberate in Berlin’s government quarter. The Left Party, Die Linke, won the Berlin state election outright, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished first in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. For Chancellor Friedrich Merz, both outcomes add to mounting pressure.
Key takeaways
- Die Linke won Berlin with 25.7%, ahead of the CDU on 18.8% and the AfD on 16.3%.
- The AfD took about 38.2% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, ahead of the SPD on 35.5%.
- The CDU fell to 4.9% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — below the 5% threshold for seats.
Berlin: a historic first for the Left
Led by Elif Eralp, Die Linke topped the poll in the capital with 25.7%. The CDU came second with 18.8%, followed by the AfD with 16.3%, the Greens with 14.3% and the SPD with 12.1% — the Social Democrats’ worst result ever in the city. Die Linke will need coalition partners to claim the mayor’s office, which it has not held since German reunification in 1990.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: AfD edges past the SPD
In the northeastern state, the AfD under Leif-Erik Holm won around 38.2% of the vote, narrowly ahead of the SPD led by state premier Manuela Schwesig on 35.5%. The bigger shock was the collapse of the CDU to 4.9%, its worst result in any German state election and just short of the threshold needed to win seats in the state parliament.
Other parties are expected to continue refusing to govern with the AfD, which means Schwesig’s SPD may still be best placed to form a government. But the AfD’s first-place finish follows its near-majority win in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks earlier, and the party is presenting the results as momentum ahead of the next federal election, due in 2029.
Pressure builds on Merz
Merz described the result in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as a “disaster” but said he would remain chancellor despite speculation about his future. AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla called for his resignation. Merz’s approval rating has reportedly fallen to around 14% after 16 months in office, as his coalition with the SPD struggles to pass promised economic and welfare reforms.
The results show a country pulling toward its political edges — with the traditional centre-right and centre-left both losing ground in the east.
What happens next
- Coalition talks: Berlin’s parties begin exploratory talks in the coming weeks; any Left-led coalition would likely involve the Greens and SPD.
- CDU soul-searching: Expect debate inside the CDU over strategy toward the AfD and Merz’s leadership.
- Federal coalition stability: Weak results for both governing parties could make compromise harder in the Bundestag.
Read more analysis in our Politics section.